Medieval Blogs

The criteria for being listed as a spice source on this page are a bit complicated. Of the spices commonly used in medieval European cooking, there are seven that are not usually found in local US grocery stores. If a spice merchant carries at least four of these seven spices then they will be added to the list.

The seven "Must Have" spices are:

ceylon cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum)
cubebs (Piper cubeba)
galingale (Alpinia officinarum)
grains of paradise (Aframomum melegueta)
hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis)
saffron (Crocus sativus)
saunders / red sandalwood (Pterocarpus santalinus)

(see the list of spice merchants included in this directory)

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Galingale - Wikimedia Commons

Galingale

(Alpinia officinarum)

Also known as: Lesser Galingale, galangal, Laos

Available from:

Great American Spice Company (US)
Lhasa Karnak Herb Company (US)
Monterey Bay Spice Company (US)
Mountain Rose Herbs (US)
The Pepperer's Guild (US)
Whole Spice (US)

Herbie's Herbs (Canada)
Silk Road Spices (Canada)

Aromatiques Tropicales (France)

JustIngredients (UK)
Seasoned Pioneers (UK)
The Spice Shop (UK)
The Spicery (UK)
Steenbergs Organic (UK)

Notes:
Lhasa Karnak identifies their Galingale as being Alpinia galanga, which is Greater Galingale. This may be a typographical error, or they may actually be selling what they state. While Greater and Lesser Galingale are related, Greater Galingale has an inferior flavor and is rarely (if ever) used in cooking.

Mountain Rose Herbs identifies their Galingale as being Alpinia galanga, which is Greater Galingale. This may be a typographical error, or they may actually be selling what they state. While Greater and Lesser Galingale are related, Greater Galingale has an inferior flavor and is rarely (if ever) used in cooking.

Herbie's Herbs identifies their Galingale as being Alpinia galanga, which is Greater Galingale. This may be a typographical error, or they may actually be selling what they state. While Greater and Lesser Galingale are related, Greater Galingale has an inferior flavor and is rarely (if ever) used in cooking.

Search: Find recipes that reference Galingale in medieval cookbooks.

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